Convertible body for automobiles.



A. A.A ACKBRMAN. CONVERTIBLE BODY FOR AUTUMOBILES.

PatentedlFeb. 11; 1 913.

.. 2v SHEETS-SHEET 1.

, A. A. ACKERMAN. CONVERTIBL BODY FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION AIvILEl') AIR.'15, 1912.

1,052,552. l Patented'Feb.11,1913. V zsHBBTs-SHEBTZ.

TinTTnn sTaTns PATENT oTT'TcE ALBERT A. ACKERMAN, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO-HARRY A. ENGMAN, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

CONVERTIBLE BODY FOR AUTOMOBILES.

.specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Teb. 11, 1913.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT A. ACKERMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Bodies for Automobiles, of which the fo-llowing is a specification.

My invention relatesto a convertible body for automobiles, and it has for its object the provisionV of a body structure which may be easily and quickly adjusted into either of three different forms, as occasion may require, so as to provide either a closedl compartment 4suitable for storage purposes, a

partially extended form of the type known to the trade as a suburban body, and a fully extended form providing a platform of considerable extent, all of which structure is so arranged that when in the first position mentioned, no parts thereof are exposed to the eye, and the'advantages due to its con- `.vertibility does not detract from the symmetry or graceful outlines of the body.

A further -object of'the invention resides in the provision of a convertible body for automobiles, in order that a carrier may be handily and .quickly provided for the support of luggage 'and' goods to be transported, "and in which the parts of t-he carrier form the major portion of the compartment body when in a folded or closed position.

With the above, and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novelY arrangement and coperation of parts, all of which will be more fully 'described hereinafter and pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of thev rear end of an automobile embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the rear end of the converti-ble automobile body in closed position. Fig. 3 is a top or plan view showing the body in fully extended position. Fig. 4 is an end view of parts shown in Fig. .3, and Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the body platform takenon the line X-X of Fig. 3.

In the accompanying drawings, which show the preferred embodiment of my invention, 1 designates the body of an automobile, provided with the usual underframe construction and, for the purpose of the present invention, provided with a chest o'r closed compartment formed by the two sides 2 2, bottom 3, rear end section 4 and top 5. The chest when closed forms a roomy compartment for the storage of luggage, etc., and a protection for the same against the weather, as well as against dirt and dust.

In order to provide greater carrying lcapacity, the top section 5 of the chest is hingedly connected at 6 to the end section 4, which latter is also hinged at 7, so that the top and end sections may be opened out* wardly, the latter in the same plane with the bottom 3, so as to form a' continuation thercof, and the top section held in a vertical plane by any suitable means, as by a supporting chain 8, which may be attached ,to the inner face of each side section 2, so as to be concealed within the chest when the end and top are in closed position, the ends 9 thereofbeing secured to the top section by any suitable means permitting the ready detachment thereof. FiXedly secured to the bottom, end and top sections of the chest are hanger-bars 10, disposed in spaced relation, the opposite ends 11 of which are turned upwardly and'inwardly to form hangers yfor engagement with a supporting frame 12,

made of angleliron and mounted for endwise slidable movement, the side bars 13 of which pass beneath the hangers 11, thus firmly supporting the end section to sustain great weight without sagging. The inner ends of the side bars of the supporting frame 12 are held against upward movement, or against accidental movement in any direction, by a clam ping bar 14. which is secured intermediate its ends to t-he bottom 3, as by screws 15. and the free ends of which rest upon said side bars, as plainly shown in Fig, 5.

` Thumb-nuts 16, in connection with threaded bolts 17 passing through holes in the clamp. ing bar permit the free ends of the latter to, be forced down tightly upon the side bars and thus clamp the latter against accidental movement in any direction. By unscrewing the thumb-screws and releasing the free ends of the clamping bar, the supporting frame may be freely shifted endwise. 1

In Fig. 2 is shown the chest in closed position, with the supporting frame, clamping bars and other appurtenances confined within the chest and body of the automobile, so as to be out of sight, the chest being suiliciently roomy to store considerable luggage or otherarticles. 1f it is desired to provide more space for carryingl purposes, the top and ends of the chest are opened, the latter in line with the bottom 8 of the chest, and

the supporting frame is slid out so as tov pass under the hangers, after which the top is swung on its hinges into a vertical posi- 'tion and there held by means 'of the chains,

all as heretofore described, thus providing' an end-gate, anda platform space sufiicient to carry several trunks or other luggage, all

of which'is plainly shown by full lines in Fig. 1. If stil'l more platform space is desired, the top section 5 is lowered, as shown by dotted'lines in Fig. 1, in line with the chest bottom 3 and end section 4, and the supporting framedrawn outwardly so as to engage'the hanger on said section, thus providing the maximum platform space.

It will be observed from the foregoing description, that I thus provide a convertible body for automobiles, which is exceedingly simple iii structure, easily and quickly adjusted, and convertible into either a closed chest for the rear end of the body, a suburban body or an open platform, all combined and arranged whereby all parts are hidden and out of view when the parts are arranged to form a closed chest. I

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed is: i

1.' The combination with a Vehicle body comprising an end chest having bottom,

side, rear and top sections,tlie rear section being hingedly connected to said body and with the top section, of a supporting frame slidably mountedin said body, and 'means carriedby said rear and top' sections cQ- Awith said slidablel supporting means to sup-- port "said sections'in the same plane with theA bottom section.

- 3. The combinationwith a vehicle body comprisingan end chest having bottom,

side, rear and top sections, said rear-section being hingedly -connected to said body and with said top section, `of hanger members carried by said top and rearv sections, and supporting means mounted in said body and slidable outwardly for engagement with said hanger members to support said. top and rear sections when in `open relation, and means for securing said supporting means against movement.`

- 4. The combination with a Vehicle body comprising an end chest having a bottom,

side, rear Aand'top sections, the rear sectionbeing hingedly connected with said body and with the top section to permit'the said rear and top sections to be swung in the same plane with the bottom sect-ion, of supporting means slidable within the body 'and .adapted to be shifted outwardly, and means mounted on said rear and topsections in spaced relation and under which said supporting means passes to support the same.

5. The combination with a vehiclebody I comprising an end chest having a bottom,

side, rear and top sections, the rear section being hingedly connected with said body and with the top section, of a rigid supporting frame slidably mounted 'in said chest and body and adapted to support'said rearand top sections when in open relation, 'i

h anger members on said rear and top sections for engagement with said supporting 4frame when shifted outwardly, a clamping bar mounted in the chest, and adjustable means for clamping said bar to the supporting frame to, hold the latter against accident-al movement. n

6. T he combination with a vehicle body comprising an end chest having a bottoni, side, rear and top sections, the rear section being hingedly connected withl said body and with the top section,` of, a rigid supporting frame slidably mounted in said chest and body and adapted to support said rear and top sections when in open. rela-v tion, said frame comprising parallel spacedl side bars, means carried by said rearand top sections for engagement with the. side bars of said supportingframe when shift-cd outwardly, a clamping bar Xedly mounted intermediate its ends. within thefchest'and its .free ends extending o ver said side bars,

and adjustable means for holding the' free ends of said bar in clamping engagement with sa'id side bars. y j 7. The combination with a vehicle body comprising a rear chest yhaving a bottom, side, rear, and top sections, 'of 4'connecting means permitting said rear and ,top 'sections to be opened outwardly 'so as to form a' continuation of the bottom section witli the rear section and an end gates-with .the top section, a supporting frame mount-ed on said" body and shiftable 'endw'ise for the support of the rear section, and means. foisnp'poi'i'.- Inembef:ezirried liy tilerbody and shiftable l10 ing the top sectionnin position to foi'm, an endwiseto support the end and top sections end gate.,

in open adjusted relation. A 8. The combination with a Vehic1e=body In testimonyfyvhereof .I `affix my s'ignacomprising a 'reai'ohest'havingx yafbf'gtonn, ture inpre'sence 'of two witnesses. 1

side, rear, and top sections, ofconnectingAr ALBERT A. ACKERMAN. means permitting said rear and top sectionsA Witnesses;l Y I 'z to be opened 4outwardly inthe same planel v L. W. HAMlaf-EMGA11-inni;`

with the bottom-section, and a` supporting-l W.'C 0OK.- 

